The good, the bad, and the ridiculous – these are my tales from the canvas.

This Is Not Relaxing!

I’ve just returned from three days at the Texas coast with the kids. I had hoped this would be a relaxing visit to the beach. Unfortunately, my kids discovered some new beach fun when we visited last November and decided to take it up a notch or two with this visit. Last November, my daughter had planned to place food on my son’s back as he laid in the sun in order that she could attract some seagulls to chase him. He became aware of her plan, and, before she could execute it, he threw a huge handful of popcorn at her. It got crazy fast. I wanted to write about the experience but have decided the video on my Facebook page is so much better than any words I could put together to describe it. (My daughter happened to be taking a video when she was attacked by the popcorn and then the birds. I have her permission to post the video.) At the moment of the attack, I was finishing my lunch and watching from afar. Because I have the maturity of an eight-year-old boy, I immediately laughed uncontrollably. I laughed so hard that I sucked a french fry down my throat and choked the entire time she was screaming and running about. You can hear me coughing at the end of the video, when she finally makes her way to me.

The kids upped the ante with this trip. Clearly, they had been putting some thought into it. My daughter and I were getting out of the car at the same time, at least I thought we were. Little did I know that she was waiting for me to exit the car so she could throw chips in my hair and lock me out of the vehicle. Who does that? I am so thankful that there is not video of that reaction. My little man had to get in on the fun by throwing popcorn all over the car so we wouldn’t exit and he could claim his spot on the beach first. It was crazy. However, the original video from November posted to the Facebook page is the best reaction to seagulls you might ever see. You’ll definitely want to turn down your speakers if in a public place. A future blog will detail more about why I dislike birds on a level you could never imagine. Enjoy the video, and cheers to relaxing beach escapes with children!